Successful kickstart for MIND ZONE

Last November, I received a request from my friend Christopher Cowen, who is VP of original programming for Herzog & Company, asking me to consider taking-part in a Kickstarter for his latest documentary film project. He wrote: “The film is called MIND ZONE: THERAPISTS BEHIND THE FRONT LINES and it’s the story of the U.S. … Read moreSuccessful kickstart for MIND ZONE

Jessye Norman On Summer’s Edge

On the evening of 20 June in New York City, world renowned opera artist Jessye Norman will present On Summer’s Edge, an evening of music and celebration benefiting The Partnership to End Homelessness. Beginning at 6:30PM at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ms. Norman and Sade Baderinwa will co-host performances from Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble and Mingus Dynasty.

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Forces for good: TONIC and YOU

TONIC is a platform for brands (consumers, celebrities and causes) to educate, interact and engage consumers around positive actions. Started as a destination for good news content, TONIC now generates its own news via the worlds of Silicon Valley, Madison Avenue, Philanthropy and Hollywood. This week they shared 10 thoughtful tips on ways to do good and be awesome this summer.

As their social media marketing manager Alethia Austin writes, “Here at Tonic, we believe the things to do during summer that are the most fun are those that have a positive effect on you, the people around you and our beautiful planet. We’ve put together a few ideas for you to consider when you find yourself wondering what to do during these long, wonderful summer days.”

I’ve summarized their suggestions below, but encourage you to check out the full article linked above for further ideas and inspiration. Thank you very much for your interest, and for doing your part to make our world better for us and generations to come.

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The one-man international advertising ambassador, and his Archive

After learning of the recent passing of Walter Lürzer, I wanted to update this entry I originally dedicated to him four years ago (below), share the intriguing autobiographical video above, and encourage anyone interested to read this wonderful Tribute written by Michael Conrad, his friend of 50 years. Dear Mr. Lürzer, thank you for the inspiration! You will be missed.

When I graduated from college in 1990, my personal interests largely drew from the realms of narrative film, literature and poetry. Many of the post-college jobs I landed were in production, but to my surprise, some of the more interesting ones built more upon my nonfiction writing abilities and the things I learned pursuing a PR/journalism minor. After years of working on high-profile TV shows and video projects, I ultimately homed-in on the field of publicity and public relations as a perfect means for earning a living which allowed me to independently make big impacts for others and their companies by using all of my talents. I still dream of being a filmmaker and a novelist, and sometimes, I get especially excited about the characters and other ‘materials’ coming my way each day as I handle my clients in the worlds of film and TV production and advertising.

Indeed, reading the Letter from the Publisher in the January edition of Lürzer’s Archive makes me realize that, if I would have been exposed to Walter Lürzer earlier in my career, I might have moved to Salzburg in the hopes of landing a job with him. The January ’07 opening letter finds Walter in Patna, a city in India

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Forces for good: Ventilate Japan

Ventilate Japan is a charity poster series donating 100% of all profits to the Red Cross, benefiting those who suffer from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Curated by graphic artist and publisher Michael Brown, Ventilate Japan is an initiative of ventilate.ca and each of the contributing artists as well as its sponsors. The group’s goal is to not only raise funds but to also raise awareness of the scale of this disaster, the physical and psychological toll taken by its victims, as well as the on-going threat posed by spent nuclear fuel.

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Forces for good: The Partnership to End Homelessness

Each day, more than 100 families appear at NYC shelters asking for emergency assistance, but according to Arnold S. Cohen, President and CEO of the Partnership for the Homeless, shelters represent one of the most expensive means of supporting people in a housing crisis. As he reports, New York City has devoted virtually no real … Read moreForces for good: The Partnership to End Homelessness

Please help save our supplies!

The video featured above is an SOS. It was first sent by DOC2DOCK, a non-profit organization that saves usable medical supplies from being discarded in the U.S. and sends them to hospitals in the developing world. Now, you can send the SOS further, and join the cause. Spread this SOS. Save Our Supplies. www.facebook.com/DOC2DOCK The … Read morePlease help save our supplies!

TED’s 2011 Ads Worth Spreading

For supporting its 2011 Ads Worth Spreading project, TED thanks YouTube, AICP, NiceSpots, Art Directors Club, The One Club/One Show, 4A’s, IAA, IAB and Contagious Magazine.

Join Jamie Oliver’s food revolution

In the video above, first broadcast on August 2, celebrity and humanitarian Jamie Oliver introduces the OpenIDEO Challenge currently underway at OpenIDEO.com. There, Jamie, design and innovation consultancy IDEO, and many other prominent organizations are pooling their resources to address the best ideas we can provide to promote the benefits of fresh food to kids, so that they’ll be able to make better choices. Below, I’m also sharing Jamie’s inspirational TED Talk from earlier this year, where his passions for encouraging people to change their lifestyles and diets for the better, earned him a TED Prize.

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Moving forward: World Water Day 2010

In honor of World Water Day, it’s my pleasure to share this video that takes a hard look at the bottled water industry and proposes some simple and powerful alternative ideas that can greatly impact the Earth, our communities, and our pocketbooks.

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